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The Story: Frank Murphy (Roy Scheider), a helicopter pilot working for the LAPD, is selected to test pilot an experimental government helicopter called “Blue Thunder.” Highly sophisticated, and heavily armed, Murphy discovers the helicopter is being designed for urban use by a group within the government, headed by his old Vietnam nemesis, F.E Cochrane (Malcolm McDowell). Thought to be insane by his LAPD bosses thanks to his troubled history of war-related Ptsd, Murphy steals ”Blue Thunder” in an attempt to reveal the murderous conspiracy behind its creation, culminating in a series of spectacular dogfights in skies above downtown Los Angeles.

The Players: Director: John Badham. Writers: Dan O’Bannon, Don Jakoby. Starring: Roy Scheider, Malcolm McDowell, Candy Clark, Daniel Stern, & Warren Oates. Score by Arthur B. Rubinstein.

The History: During the early eighties, the comic book-style techno-thriller was in-vogue. Usually, these thrillers revolved around lone-wolf cops or military men given...

Following news of O.J. Simpson’s passing, many are learning about his career in football and entertainment.

He was a Heisman Trophy winner in college and an NFL star throughout the 1980s. Like other athletes, he ventured into roles in movies and television.

Some of Simpson’s television roles came the year of his Heisman Trophy win, including single-episode appearances in popular shows Dragnet, Ironside, and It Takes a Thief.

In the late 1980s through the mid-1990s, he was a recurring character in the popular Naked Gun series.

The detective spoof films starred the late Leslie Nielson as Detective Frank Drebin and Simpson as Detective Fred Nordberg.

Based on scarce details, Simpson’s last movie may have been from the Naked Gun series. However, others might see him listed for the upcoming film Mayday Z.

Eric Roberts and Tara Reid to star in Mayday Z

Based on the cast and synopsis,...

Inthe 1995 "The X-Files" episode "Død Kalm," Agents Mulder and Scully (David Duchovny and Gillian Anderson) trek out to the U.S.S. Ardent, an American destroyer frozen in a remote area off the coast of Norway. The ship had recently been abandoned by its crew as a mysterious environmental condition had caused them to age rapidly; although in their 20s, they looked like they were in their mid-60s. When Mulder and Scully arrive on the Ardent, they find that the remaining crew on board has become mummified and that the ship's hull has already begun to rust through. Before too long, Mulder and Scully begin aging rapidly as well. Mulder theorizes that they have encountered a "wrinkle in time," and that the Ardent might be going through something similar to the notorious Philadelphia Experiment of 1943. Scully later finds that their advanced aging might have something to do with the ship's freshwater supply.

With their “waste no time” philosophy, Mahal Empire is deep in pre-production on “Cursed Waters”.

After their ship is sunk in a naval battle, a group of pirates flee to a nearby island. However, the island is more than it seems. As they try to evade capture by the Navy, they soon find that the island is inhabited by a terrifying cult. What other secrets does this island hold? Can the pirates survive? Can they escape?

Starring Glenn Plummer, Michael Pare’, Vernon Wells, and John Wells;

Cursed Waters takes you on a journey of treasure hunting and survival with a twist. Michael and Sonny Mahal have amassed a strong cast and crew again for what has become their most ambitious film yet. Adam Werth has returned to direct and shares writing duties with Bj Mezek, who also appears as Drake. Michael Su has been tapped again as Director of Photography,...

Peter Graham of 120dB Advisors brokered acquisition.

Lise Romanoff’s Vision Films has acquired Paul Hertzberg’s CineTel Film library and will commences talks with buyers at MIPTV next week and Cannes market in May.

The acquisition, brokered by Peter Graham of 120dB Advisors, marks Vision Film’s first foray into proprietary titles for global sales.

The library contains more than 85 titles, among them The Philadelphia Experiment starring Malcolm McDowell and Michael Paré, Maximum Impact with Danny Trejo and Alexander Nevsky, and Acceleration with Dolph Lundgren and Trejo.

Romanoff said, “CineTel has a treasure trove of quality films that we...

Kenneth Wannberg, composer and Emmy-winning music editor who worked on nearly half of all John Williams’ films dating back to the late 1960s, died Jan. 27 at his home in Florence, Oregon. He was 91.

Wannberg was best known as Williams’ music editor, working closely with the composer on more than 50 of his films. He assisted Williams throughout the scoring process, from providing detailed descriptions of sequences to be scored to more technical aspects such as trimming or modifying music during the last stages of post-production.

He music-edited the first six “Star Wars” films, the first three “Indiana Jones” films and such other landmark Williams scores as “Close Encounters of the Third Kind,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List” and “Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone.”

During his 50-year career in films, Wannberg worked with many other composers including Bernard Herrmann (“Journey to the Center of the Earth”), Jerry Goldsmith (“The Mephisto Waltz”), Michael Convertino...

Escape from New York came out 40 years ago this week. Released on July 10, 1981, director and co-writer John Carpenter’s sardonic sci-fi action thriller is set in a future United States where the rise of rampant crime has led to Manhattan Island being walled off and turned into a gigantic supermax prison.

When Air Force One is hijacked and forced to crash land on the island, the federal government turns to ex-Special Forces soldier-turned-criminal Snake Plissken (Kurt Russell) to get onto the island and rescue the President (Donald Pleasance) in under 24 hours.

At stake: the president’s life and his appearance at a critical peace summit with China and the Soviet Union. If Snake succeeds, he gets a full pardon for his crimes. If he doesn’t, a device attached to his neck explodes and kills him.

Carpenter and his friend Nick Castle (who played The Shape in the original Halloween...

After taking viewers on a walk down the macabre memory lane of ’80s horror cinema with the documentary In Search of Darkness (now streaming on Shudder), CreatorVC is giving fans of ’80s sci-fi a similar experience to look forward to with the new documentary In Search of Tomorrow, which now has a new trailer, additional interviewees, and an Indiegogo campaign!

Below, we have the official press release and trailer with additional details on In Search of Tomorrow, and be sure to visit the documentary's official Indiegogo page to learn more!

Press Release: Los Angeles, CA - April 8th, 2021 -- In Search of Tomorrow, the long-form documentary about ‘80s sci-fi movies from Creatorvc, has recruited director Ivan Reitman (Ghostbusters I & II), producer Gale Anne Hurd, actor Peter Weller, and more talent for in-depth interviews looking back on the extensive, beloved era of genre film. Executive produced by Robin Block and written...

Full Moon Features is heading back into the Lovecraftian cinematic universe with the new film Miskatonic U: The Resonator. Starring Michael Paré and Amanda Wyss, Miskatonic U: The Resonator will premiere on February 26th, and ahead of its release, we've been provided with exclusive behind-the-scenes photos to share with Daily Dead readers!

You can check out our exclusive behind-the-scenes photos in the gallery below, which offers a close look at makeup effects artist Greg Lightner's creature creations for the movie, and visit Full Moon Features for more updates on Miskatonic U: The Resonator!

Miskatonic U: The Resonator Synopsis:

Set in the fictional college campus “Miskatonic University” in Arkham, Massachusetts where all sorts of fantastic and unworldly events have been known to unfold in Lovecraft lore, Miskatonic U: The Resonator follows six gifted students as they navigate life after one of them, Crawford Tillinghast, builds a machine known as the...

Full Moon Features announced today that they have secured acclaimed and internationally beloved cult film actors Michael Pare (Eddie And The Cruisers, The Philadelphia Experiment, Streets Of Fire) and Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare On Elm Street, Fast Times At Ridgemont High, Dexter, Charmed) to star in the newest film in the Miskatonic U series, Miskatonic U: The Resonator. The film was created by horror powerhouse, Charles Band, and […]...

MidWest WeirdFest have announced its first programming wave for their third annual festival – a cinematic celebration of all things fantastic, frightening, offbeat, and just plain weird – which takes place March 8-10th 2019 at the Micon Downtown Cinema in Eau Claire, Wisconsin. Says festival founder and programming director Dean Bertram:

This year’s fest line-up is set to delight fans of cutting edge horror, sci-fi, underground, and documentary cinema. We’ve put together a heady and eclectic mix of speculative genre offerings, underground strangeness, and paranormal revelations: From a psychedelic Manson Family reimagining and a post-apocalyptic dance-off epic, through tales about a reanimated electrokinetic teenager, haunted stoners, and inept buddy superheroes, to a bonkers lake monster adventure and the most in-depth Bigfoot documentary ever produced. And that’s just from MidWest WeirdFest’s first programming wave of 2019!

Discounted festival passes are now on sale at www.midwestweirdfest.com. Individual tickets...

Image Source: Everett Collection

With two seasons under its belt, Stranger Things is bigger than ever. It's not just that the series delivers heavy doses of nostalgia and horror in one fell swoop. The real magic of Stranger Things is that it builds a conspiracy-filled universe that's so intricate, it almost feels real. Well, here's the thing: it's actually inspired by a real-life conspiracy theory that's so wild and detailed, you'll almost want to believe it. We're not talking about Project Mk-Ultra, though the Duffer brothers (who created Stranger Things) have admitted that they incorporated aspects of that conspiracy theory into the show as well. But this story is much darker, deeper, and more sinister.

We're talking about The Montauk Project. One little-known secret about Stranger Things is that it was originally titled Montauk, and it was supposed to take place in New York. For the geographically uninformed, Montauk is...

Released in theaters a little more than 14 months after its predecessor, Hellbound: Hellraiser II had the unenviable task of following up one of the most innovative and boundary-pushing genre films of the 1980s. Tony Randel took over the directorial duties on Hellbound, and he did a brilliant job sidestepping the pitfalls that can often trip up a sequel film effort, ambitiously blazing a new path in the Hellraiser universe by taking viewers into the labyrinthine realm of Leviathan and providing fans with a greater understanding of the franchise’s Cenobite antiheroes as well. Hellraiser II also introduces one of the series’ most dominant and unforgettable villains by way of Dr. Channard (Kenneth Cranham) and transforms Hellraiser’s wicked stepmother Julia (Clare Higgins) into a bona fide evil queen.

Simply put, Hellraiser II is a perfect example of what every filmmaker at the helm of a sequel should aspire to achieve,...

Ed Kegenof Jun 16, 2017

As The Evil Within 2‘s announced, we take a look at what happens when urban myths and legends collide with the realm of gaming...

Most people can cite at least a couple of urban legends or conspiracy theories. Paul McCartney isn't really Paul McCartney. A ghost haunts a single shot in the 80s comedy hit Three Men And A Baby. Blowing on Nintendo cartridges makes them work better.

With the advent of the internet, we might be forgiven for thinking that outlandish claims and tall tales would be chased away by the might of Google or a website like Snopes, where myth-busting facts are but a search term or click away. Instead, the web has allowed creepy stories and urban legends to travel more quickly than ever, as they’re copied and pasted in forums, emails and social media posts - hence the oft-used term 'creepypasta', used to describe these strange,...

I was a teenager when ABC’s The Disney Sunday Movie aired Mr. Boogedy (1986), a haunted house tale, and I had no interest in seeing it. I was beyond such childish ventures; my horror was blood and guts and sex and probably more blood. But teenaged Scott didn’t bother to think that every horror fan starts somewhere, and at every age too – and some gateway horror is geared towards nudging the kid to the edge of the pool instead of throwing him in. If you’re looking for some fun horror water wings, Mr. Boogedy will do the trick.

Originally airing on April 20th, Mr. Boogedy did well enough against CBS’ 60 Minutes and NBC’s Punky Brewster/Silver Spoons lineups to garner a sequel the following year, Bride of Boogedy. As the ‘80s progressed, The Disney Sunday Movie didn’t quite have the same cache due to the rise of VCRs and video stores.

Stars: Michael Paré, Lauren Alexandra, Rachel G. Whittle, Amy Wickenheiser, Gayle James | Written and Directed by John Fallon

They often say those who can, do, and those who can’t, teach. In the blogosphere its often those who can make movies do, and those who can’t rip them to pieces online in reviews. So what happens when a blogger turns filmmaker and produces a movie? The Shelter. That’s what.

Written and directed by Arrow in the Head blogger John Fallon and starring Michael Paré (The Philadelphia Experiment, Streets of Fire), The Shelter tells the story of Thomas, a homeless man grieving his late wife. Ruined and desperate, he comes across a vast house with the lights on and an inviting open front door. But the next morning, the house will not let him leave. Destiny has brought Thomas to this place and now he must survive a very personal ordeal.

This video supercut of "Arcades in Movies" was created by the Huffington Post. It features a lot of movies from mid-70s to the mid-90s, which was the golden age for arcades.

Back when I was a kid I wanted to own an arcade. I thought it would be such a fun job. Oh, how the times have changed. If I wanted to go to and arcade today, odds are I'd have to go to a Dave and Buster's.

Movies in the super cut via /Film:

“Rancho Deluxe” (1975) “Jaws” (1975) “Jaws 2″ (1978) “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band” (1978) “Dawn of the Dead” (1978) “Midnight Madness” (1980) “Bustin’ Loose” (1981) “Death Wish II” (1982) “Rocky III” (1982) “Tron” (1982) “Fast Times at Ridgemont High” (1982) “Jekyll and Hyde… Together Again” (1982) “The Toy” (1982) “Joysticks” (1983) “WarGames” (1983) “Twilight Zone: The Movie” (1983) “Strange Brew” (1983) “Nightmares” [segment 'Bishop of Battle'] (1983) “Never Say Never Again” (1983) “High School U.S.A.” (1983) “Rumble Fish” (1983) “Footloose” (1984) “Star Trek III: The Search for Spock...

In honor of the 2014 summer movie season, Team HitFix will be delivering a mini-series of articles flashing back to key summers from years past. There will be one each month, diving into the marquee events of the era, their impact on the writer and their implications on today's multiplex culture. We continue today with a look back at the summer of 1984. I turned 14 on May 26, 1984, just as the summer movie season was getting started. These days, the summer movie season seems to begin in mid-March, and I think it's because studios want real estate that they can own. And it feels like the appetite for event films is something the audience has year-round now, so if you're able to make something that excites the audience, why not find a place for it where it's not going head to head with all the other giant event films of the year? For the purposes of this piece,...

Birthday shoutouts go to Josh Duhamel, who is 41, Patrick Warburton is 49, and Sandahl Bergman is 62.

In ratings news, Arrow hit a season high, and tied its series high in the demo.

Wall Street Courting Gay Students to Bolster Bottom Line

Ryan Murphy has revealed the details about the Stevie Nicks guest appearance on American Horror Story: Coven. Here’s a fact – It’ll take place on Episode 10, right after the winter break.

Jake Gyllenhaal Punches Mirror on Set, Is Briefly Hospitalized.

Oh, and surprising no one, here’s Alec Baldwin calling a photographer a “cocksucking fag.”

Why Rep. Kaniela Ing voted for the Marriage Equality bill. In case you missed it, here’s the speech.

Desmond Child was one of the most prolific and successful songwriters of the 80′s (a small sampling of his hits includes “You Give Love A Bad Name, Living On A Prayer, Just Like Jesse James,...

Zachary Quinto at the Cfda Fashion Awards

Birthday shoutouts go to Robert Englund, who is 66, and Harvey Fierstein is 59.

Fxx (the new channel from FX) has announced its first series, Chozen, an animated comedy about “a gay white rapper who’s newly released from prison and is on a quest for redemption and domination.” Oh Jeez. On the plus side, it’s from the creator of Archer, but on the other hand, Nick Swardson is involved, who doesn’t have a great track record with gay-themed humor. In fact, he’s terrible. Plus … Fxx is geared toward a young, presumably straight male audience, so … I have my doubts.

Out of the frying pan?

Carey Mulligan is apparently the top pick to play Hillary Clinton in a new biopic.

Rock Hudson’s Wife Secretly Recorded His Gay Confession.

The Communists Of Russia are protesting Elton John‘s “flamboyant outfits,” and have...

RoboCop to have a special screening in Hollywood: Cast members Allen, Weller, and director Verhoeven to attend presentation followed by reception and Q&A The 1987 original RoboCop directed by Dutch filmmaker Paul Verhoeven, and starring Peter Weller and former Brian De Palma leading lady Nancy Allen, will have a special presentation at noon on Saturday, May 18, 2013, at the Harmony Gold Theater, located on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood. The screening and reception, to be hosted by Allen, Weller, and Verhoeven, will also feature a Q&A and autograph session. (Pictured above: Allen and Weller in the original movie released more than a quarter of a century ago.) Proceeds from the pricy $75 / $125 tickets will go to weSPARK, which is described as "an organization that enhances the quality of life for cancer patients, family and friends by providing multiple services designed to help heal the mind, body and spirit." Tickets for the screening can be purchased here.

Apparently the Philadelphia Experiment was “based on actual events”. Yeah, that’s the ticket. I’m sure the military tried something wacky like this. They’re known for that. But did it actually result in time travel? Uh, that’s probably a bit of a stretch. In any case, check out the trailer for the Syfy Channel’s remake of 1984′s “The Philadelphia Experiment”. A secret government research project tries reviving the World War II “Philadelphia Experiment,” an attempt to create a cloaking device to make warships invisible. When the experiment succeeds, it brings back the original ship (the Eldridge) that disappeared during the first test in 1943. Starring Malcolm McDowell, Nicholas Lea, Syfy Channel regular Gina Holden, and Michael Pare, the star of the 1984 original. Coming to Syfy July 28, 2012.

Cars 2

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: Great stuff for the whole family. Buy

Donny says: Never cared for this franchise. Rent

Water for Elephants

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: Hey, there’s the Twilight dude. Rent

Donny says: Doesn’t look half bad. Rent

Crazy Stupid Love

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: Gosling is on fire! Buy

Donny says: Haven’t seen this one yet, but I think I’m gonna blind buy it.

Californication: The Fourth Season

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: Art imitating life. Life imitating art. Rent

Donny says: My favorite show on the boob tube. Buy

Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: This one is not on my radar. Rent

Donny says: What Jason said. Rent

Toy Story 3D Trilogy

(Formats: Blu-ray/DVD)

Jason says: One of the best trilogies ever! Buy

Donny says: Top notch. Buy

Scrooged

(Formats:...

Zoe Saldana is to produce and star in a new supernatural thriller called Dominion.

The Paramount project, scripted by Dean McCreary and Chester Hastings, centres on a woman who is half human and half angel, according to The Hollywood Reporter. No further details have been disclosed.

The Avatar and Star Trek actress will next be seen on screen as an assassin avenging her parents' deaths in action movie Colombiana, which opens in the UK on September 9.

In other casting news, Malcolm McDowell has signed on to Syfy's new TV movie The Philadelphia Experiment, according to Entertainment Weekly.

The original story, based on allegedly real events, is about a naval military test in 1943 that used massive electromagnetic fields to make the destroyer USS Eldridge invisible. When repeated later that year, the procedure supposedly caused the ship to teleport 200 miles and travel back in time, with several crew members suffering bizarre side-effects.

Malcolm McDowall has reportedly joined the cast of Syfy's upcoming remake of science fiction classic The Philadelphia Experiment. The network have ordered a remake of the 1984 original film, about the mythical World War II-era Us Navy experiment that rendered an entire ship invisible. Entertainment Weekly reports that the Clockwork Orange star has been cast in the role of the scientist who originated the experiment. McDowall will be joined by Kyle Xy actor Nicolas Lea, Sanctuary stars Ryan Robbins and (more)...

Let's start with the writers this time.

Jane Espenson wrote an article about Torchwood for BBC.co.uk that provides some info about the creative process behind Miracle Day. You can read it here.

Mark Verheiden tweets that he is back in the Falling Skies writers' room. Caprica co-creator & new Fs showrunner Remi Aubuchon confirms that Verheiden will be on staff for season two as a consulting producer. (Yes, Remi Aubuchon has joined Twitter.)

Race Bending has a fantastic new interview with Carmen Moore. She talks about Blackstone, playing Fidelia in Caprica, how she got cast in Battlestar Galactica: Blood and Chrome (she will likely be a regular if B&C gets picked up) and some of her other projects, both old (Andromeda) and more recent (Two Indians Talking).

You can read the partial transcript here or listen to the whole interview below.

Carmen Moore is a veteran Canadian television and film actress from Burnbay,...

There will be time-travelling, but not the kind featured in the original film on this supposed "true event." Syfy is working on its own version of "The Philadelphia Experiment," bringing in "Heroes" and "Star Trek: Generations" actor Malcolm McDowell to try and draw even more fans to the project. It will be a Saturday "original movie," a popular feature of Syfy that draws typically 2 million viewers or more. The film titles have ranged from the depths of B-Moviedom (like "Sharktopus") to those similar to other movie fans are familiar with ("Almighty Thor," "Battle of Los Angeles"). Using the original story of a project to cloak a warship during World War II (widely believed to be a hoax) as a starting block, this film moves into the 21st century where the military tries to duplicate ...

Syfy started production in Vancouver Friday on an update of cult classic "The Philadelphia Experiment" that will star Malcolm McDowell and Nicholas Lea. The plot of the time-travel thriller is modeled on an urban legend about a military experiment that was allegedly conducted during World War II that would have allowed a U.S. Navy destroyer to cloak itself from enemy tracking devices. In the movie, this very ship turns up in the present while a team of researchers are trying to replicate the experiment, and chaos ensues. Lea -- best known for playing...

Saturday Night Live vet Will Forte is set to visit Will Arnett on Lorne Michaels’ new NBC comedy Up All Night.

According to Vulture, the recurring 30 Rock funnyman will appear in the series’ fourth episode as a mellow surfer dude-dad who bonds over parenthood with Arnett’s character at a kiddie park. There’s no word if Forte will also share scenes with his former SNL co-star (and Up All Night regular) Maya Rudolph, but we can dream!

The guest spot will reunite Arnett and Forte, who previously appeared together as doofy siblings (pictured above) in 2007′s big-screen flop, The Brothers Solomon.

Cyndi Lauper is set to open her Glbt youth center, The True Colors Residence, next week. With 30 studio apartments, it differs from the missions of places like The Lgbt Center and The Ali Forney Center, who are already referring people to the residence, which will also provide job assistance.

Elmhurst College is reportedly the first to ask incoming students about their sexual orientation. It's on an optional section of a questionnaire, just like they'd ask religious affiliation in order to provide resources.

I'd like to curse Brent Hartinger for sending me Overly Specific Stock Photos, which caused me to waste a huge amount of time. It's not just the images, but the descriptions.

Kris Jenner is heading to The Talk. The momager of the Kardashian clan is an obvious fit for a show about celebrity mothers, but pretty much guarantees I'll never watch the show again.

You can listen to...

Syfy’s update of the classic sci-fi story The Philadelphia Experiment has cast legendary actor Malcolm McDowell, along with with several other notable names.

McDowell (A Clockwork Orange, Entourage) is joined by Nicholas Lea (V, Kyle Xy), Michael Paré (Virgin Suicides), Gina Holden (Saw 3D, Final Destination), and Sanctuary vets Ryan Robbins and Emilie Ullerup.

Syfy’s new movie version of The Philadelphia Experiment is based on a mythical 1943 U.S. Navy military test that supposedly made a warship invisible. The story was adapted to a 1984 movie of the same name — which, by the way, starred Paré — and added a...

I go on vacation and all this happens:

Eric Stoltz might be coming back to weekly TV. He has been cast as the lead in a new Lifetime pilot, Modern Love. Report from Deadline.com:

[Modern Love] follows newspaper science editor Simon McElvane (Stoltz) as he faces a deteriorating marriage, the ramifications of potentially starting over and balancing his relationship with his adopted 15-year-old daughter. Unexpectedly handed the job of editor of the newspaper’s Modern Love column, Simon discovers he has a lot to learn about life and love.Nwcn has a video report from the set of Grimm in Portland. Sasha Roiz mentioned they’ve started working on episode four today.

Sasha will be back on Warehouse 13 next Monday. Alessandra Torresani will join him the week after that.

Esai Morales did a few more interviews while promoting Gun Hill Road in San Francisco. There is one at SFBayTimes.com...

Everyone knows that John Carpenter is a prolific director, but it is an oversight that he also is a damn fine writer/producer, and on a few instances he did it for other people’s films. In the 80′s, he lent his talent to the fan favorites Black Moon Rising and The Philadelphia Experiment, and both are being reissued by Image Entertainment on November 1, 2011.

A professional thief is hired by the FBI to steal a data tape from a company under investigation. The analysis of this tape, will prove the criminal activities of this company. As this thief is discovered in his attempt, he hides the tape inside a prototype car, but unfortunately there is someone else interested in this vehicle.

Based on an “actual event” that took place in 1943. About a Us Navy Destroyer Escort that disappeared from the Philadelphia Naval Shipyard, and sent two men 40 years into the...

You know what we need? We need a cool investigative show that delves into the far reaches of the darkest corners of science. We need a show that sheds light on some of the horrors of the most disturbing and off-putting experiments ever performed. Luckily, we no longer need to wish for this program. It's about to become a reality.

Science, the channel that brings us shows like "How It's Made," "Monster Bug Wars" and The Running Man-esque "Mantracker," is proud to announce the launch of "Dark Matters: Twisted But True" a science-based program that will investigate historic experiments which pushed the boundaries of ethics and morality. The show will be hosted by unforgettable John Noble.

The six-episode inaugural season will cover such topics as The Philadelphia Experiment, a scientific theory that was being applied to converting apes into a fighting force, and unidentified flying Nazis. Tune in; you may learn something.

And the fourth story today about a movie with the word "dark" somewhere in its title has come our way, this time for the mysterious Dark Peak, which we last told you about a few months ago during Afm.

Dark Peak is a sci-fi thriller in the vein of The Philadelphia Experiment meets The Descent and based on a true story.

Written by Alistair Audsley and directed by Ben Jagger, the film tells the story of a group of hikers on Dark Peak who encounter a terrifying, mysterious force. The one surviving member must convince his rescuers that something is very wrong, so wrong that he cannot conceive of its full impact until it is too late.

Since WWII there have been over 50 unexplained air crashes on Dark Peak in the UK.

The film is being produced by Paul Tucker on behalf of Belief Films, who has been involved in producing films such as Braveheart,...

Well now that director Uwe Boll has got all the "serious" filmmaking out of his system with the prison thriller Stoic, political drama Darfur, and yes, even the holocaust movie Auschwitz, it's time to get back to the other tasteless stuff that no one wants to see. This week a trailer for his new film Blubberella has hit the web, the star of which is described as "the first female fat superhero." Apparently she's part vampire and she kills nazis with blades, machine guns and rolling pins (not to mention her girth). Lindsay Hollister (Get Smart, Postal) stars in the somewhat degrading lead role, while Michael Paré (Seed, The Philadelphia Experiment) and, yes, Clint Howard also make appearances. This definitely seems more in the vein of Postal, which I know some people actually liked, but somehow I can't even muster any half-hearted ironic excitement for it. Whether or not it's...

Every day unexplained things happen all over the world. Sometimes several times in the same exact place. That's right, kids! Time to dig on a new flick that examines the unknown and is based upon "actual events".

The London and La-based Stealth Media Group, an all rights film distributor and international film and TV sales company, has boarded Dark Peak, a sci-fi thriller in the vein of The Philadelphia Experiment meets The Descent and based on a true story.

Written by Alistair Audsley and directed by Ben Jagger, the film tells the story of a group of hikers on Dark Peak who encounter a terrifying, mysterious force. The one surviving member must convince his rescuers that something is very wrong, so wrong that he cannot conceive of its full impact until it is too late.

Since WWII there have been over 50 unexplained air crashes on Dark Peak in the UK.

The London and La-based Stealth Media Group, an all rights Film Distributor and International Film and TV sales company, has boarded Dark Peak, a sci fi thriller in the vein of The Philadelphia Experiment meets Descent and based on a true story. The film has been written by Alistair Audsley and is being directed by Ben Jagger. The film is about a group of hikers on Dark Peak who encounter a terrifying, mysterious force. The one surviving member must convince his rescuers that something is very wrong, so wrong that he cannot conceive of its full impact until it is too late.

Stealth Media Group has swooped into the shepherd the upcoming thriller Dark Peak . The film is being described as The Philadelphia Experiment meets The Descent and was written by Alistair Audsley. Ben Jagger is in line to direct. Peak follows a group of hikers on Dark Peak who encounter a terrifying, mysterious force. The one surviving member must convince his rescuers that something is very wrong, so wrong that he cannot conceive of its full impact until it is too late. Since WWII there have been over 50 unexplained air crashes on Dark Peak in the UK. The film is being produced by Paul Tucker on behalf of Belief Films, and John Adams of Angry Badger Pictures. The film is fully financed and will start pre-production in April 2011 for a delivery of first quarter...

Indie Roundup is your (striving to be) weekly guide to what's new and upcoming in the world of independent film.

Opening This Week: As we (by which I mean me) try to settle back into a good weekly routine, let's start with what's opening in limited release. Against the intelligent thrills of Christopher Nolan's Inception, which is likely to draw a fair portion of indie-oriented audiences, we see only a few contenders. Our friends at indieWIRE list the drama Kisses on their release calendar. Described as an Irish "romantic coming-of-age film," Kisses was originally slated for release late last year through Oscilloscope. Written and directed by Lance Daly, the film is centered around two kids who run away from home and spend Christmas night together on the streets of Dublin. It will be available via cable on demand systems at the same time it opens in New York and...

"Alternate Realities" from Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada, is a new, classic science fiction film collection, to be released on several DVDs, beginning April 6.

In director Aaron Lipstadt's 1982 feature "Android", starring Klaus Kinski, Bree Howard and Norbert Weisser:

"...Somewhere on the outskirts of deep space, orbits 'Ulz-53', a forgotten research station manned only by intense scientist 'Dr. Daniel' (Kinski) and his lonely android assistant 'Max 404' (Don Keith Opper). When three escaped convicts-including a beautiful woman- arrive aboard, Dr. Daniel finds the missing element to his outlawed experiments while Max discovers his own forbidden urges. Can a turned-on robot turn off his human insticnts and still get down to earth?..."

In "Astro Boy Greatest Astro Adventures", directed by creator Osamu Tezuka :

"...In the first ever 'Astro Boy' series created in full color, brilliant robot engineer 'Doctor Boynton' loses his son 'Toby' in an accident. The dedicated.

Alternate Realities from Anchor Bay Entertainment Canada, is a new, classic science fiction film collection, to be released on several DVDs, beginning April 6. In director Aaron Lipstadt's 1982 feature Android, starring Klaus Kinski, Bree Howard and Norbert Weisser: "...Somewhere on the outskirts of deep space, orbits 'Ulz-53', a forgotten research station manned only by intense scientist 'Dr. Daniel' (Kinski) and his lonely android assistant 'Max 404' (Don Keith Opper). When three escaped convicts-including a beautiful woman- arrive aboard, Dr. Daniel finds the missing element to his outlawed experiments while Max discovers his own forbidden urges. Can a turned-on robot turn off his human insticnts and still get down to earth?..." In Astro Boy Greatest Astro Adventures, directed by creator Osamu Tezuka : "...In the first ever 'Astro Boy' series created in full colour, brilliant robot engineer 'Doctor Boynton' loses his son 'Toby' in an accident. The dedicated.

In this incarnation of our Videolog column (which began in 1982 with VHS and Betamax and later laserdisc), Starlog posts information weekly regarding selected genre titles being released (or re-released) now on DVD and Blu-ray. Prices listed are Msrp, though the clickable links lead to Amazon where the savings can be significant.

DVD & Blu-ray Releases for December 22, 2009

District 9 (Sony, Available on $28.96 Single Disc and $36.95 Two-Disc DVD; $39.95 Blu-Ray, and Umd)

From producer Peter Jackson and director Neill Blomkamp comes a science fiction thriller with stunning special FX and gritty realism. The film presents a world where the aliens have landed—only to be exiled to a slum on the fringes of Johannesburg. Now, one lone human discovers the mysterious secret of the extraterrestrial weapon technology. Hunted and hounded through the bizarre back alleys of an alien shantytown, he will discover what it means to be the ultimate outsider on your own planet.